Immigrants: "We come to live the American Dream"...
In a recent gathering I heard the phrase "We come to live the American Dream". And it was said very resolutely, with deep conviction. The person addressing our group was dynamic, engaging, and definitely convincing; she was also an immigrant. And in the spirit of bridging differences, the phrase doles out a double whammy as it seems to express solidarity through "I'm am (also) looking for what you are looking for", and, "See, we agree; there is something in common between us. Don't shun me". Something clicked inside which made me stop nodding in agreement. I realized I had been nodding in agreement and then, in auto mode, I started nodding in disagreement. "No, no!" wanted to come out from deep within me. (Of course, I did not let it: this was too fresh, I had no idea what it was all about, and it had not revealed itself to me yet. I did not know what was going on, for God's sake!). There was a sense of discovery to be had, and a...